1. Related U.S. Patent Application
U.S. patent applications directly or indirectly related to the subject application are the following:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,541,734, issued Sept. 17, 1985 by Hideo Ishizaka, entitled Electronic Clinical Thermometer, and Method of Measuring Body Temperature;
Pat. No. 4,592,000, issued May 27, 1986 by Hideo Ishizaka, entitled Electronic Clinical Thermometer, and Method of Measuring Body Temperature;
Pat. No. 4,574,359, issued Mar. 4, 1986 by Hideo Ishizaka, entitled Electronic Clinical Thermometer, and Method of Measuring Body Temperature; and
Ser. No. 748,663, filed June 24, 1985 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,629,336 by Hideo Ishizaka, entitled Electronic Clinical Thermometer, and method of Meauring Body Temperature.
2. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electronic clinical thermometer and, more particularly, to a predicting-type electronic clinical thermometer in which a displayed temperature reading rapidly attains an equilibrium temperature even before temperature is sensed in real time.
3. Description of the Prior Art
The advantage of an electronic clinical thermometer which predicts temperature that will be attained at thermal equilibrium is that the equilibrium temperature is displayed at an early stage during the course of measurement. In an electronic clinical thermometer of this type, the early display of temperature is achieved by sensing temperature, obtaining a difference value between the sensed temperature and a predicted value of equilibrium temperature determined on the basis of the sensed temperature, and adding the difference value to the sensed temperature. This difference value shall be referred to as an "add-on value" hereinafter.
However, when predictive calculations are performed to obtain results immediately after the thermometer is brought into contact with the part of the body to be measured, the displayed predicted value resulting from the calculations is unstable owing to the steep shape of the body temperature detection curve just after the thermometer makes contact. After passage of a sufficient length of time, the add-on value for the temperature prediction becomes substantially zero and the equilibrium temperature is virtually attained. It is required that the display show a smooth transition from the predicted value to the equilibrium temperature value.